Five Dawns
by Itachi-21
Summary: Five women. Five women is all it takes for the Akatsuki to change its ways. Going from a notorious group of S-ranked criminals to an ally of the Five Great Nations, not even the members of the Akatsuki are certain about how it happened. However, there is no time to ponder the past when an enemy threatens the future.
1. The Renegades

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

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_**Chapter 1: The Renegades**_

"I can't believe we're having a repeat of last week already," a red-haired girl muttered to herself as she jumped from branch to branch, followed closely by a brown-haired girl and a girl with snow-white hair.

"It can't be helped, Sayuri," Sayuri's brown-haired companion sighed, "We knew that this would be happening when we chose to become rogue."

"It's not the moving around that I don't like," Sayuri objected, "It's the pursuit!" A kunai flew past her left cheek as she said that, and the three girls pushed themselves faster to escape from the Kumogakure ninjas that were hot on their trail.

"Well, we should actually be somewhat grateful for the pursuit," the white-haired girl said cheerfully as she did a twirl in midair to avoid a couple of shurikens.

"And why is that, Chinatsu?" Sayuri asked through gritted teeth.

"Look at it this way: if there weren't anyone pursuing us, then we would have a pretty boring life, no?" Chinatsu reasoned, giving Sayuri a small smile.

"I guess Chinatsu is right," the brown-haired girl agreed, "Do you two want to deal with them now?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Ren!" Sayuri exclaimed, her expression of annoyance changing to one of happiness in an instant.

"I want to set a trap," Chinatsu declared, ducking her head to dodge a kunai.

"Trap it is then," Ren said, "Everyone knows what to do, right?"

Sayuri and Chinatsu both nodded, and the three of them separated. The group of Kumo chunins split up as well, a couple ninjas following each kunoichi. Chinatsu glanced behind her to see two pursuers following her closely. She smirked slightly and sped up her pace, forming a series of seals with her hands discreetly.

Sayuri turned to count her pursuers and was furious to find out that she had three on her tail instead of two like her companions.

"Why do I have to have the most jerks following me?" she cursed quietly as she made a few hand seals.

Ren sighed quietly and prepared her technique. "_Plant Release: Vine Cage."_

Thick, barbed vines burst from the earth, wrapping themselves around the two Kumogakure Chunins, who let out cries of shock as they were rendered immobile.

Suddenly, Chinatsu shot out from the trees, closely followed by her two pursuers. Chinatsu skidded to a halt besides Ren, while the other two Kumo ninjas continued to advance, unaware of the trap they were walking right into. A pair of thinner vines appeared from the ground and grabbed the Kumo ninja by their ankles. The pair of ninja were then lifted into the air and thrown towards where two of their companions were already captured.

As soon as the two ninja came into contact with the larger vines, they also ended up ensnared and completely unable to move. Sayuri appeared next to Ren and Chinatsu a few moments later. Her pursuers suffered the same fate as the other four Kumogakure shinobi.

"That was easy," Chinatsu said, flicking imaginary dust off her clothes to annoy the trio's captives.

"Hurry up and finish it," Ren said, looking bored, "I want to get going."

Chinatsu sighed. "Fine." She stepped forward and formed a seal. "_Crystal Release: Entrapment Prism._"

Four transparent sheets of crystal rose from the ground, forming a barrier around the seven Kumogakure ninjas. A fifth sheet materialized above the walls and dropped down the structure, creating a flawless shield to make sure that no one could enter or exit.

"My turn!" Sayuri had already done the necessary hand signs for her technique; electricity crackled around her right hand. She swiped her right arm through the air, firing a bullet of lightning at Chinatsu's crystal technique. "_Storm Release: Volt Charge."_

The electric bullet struck the transparent prism and disappeared. The electricity surrounding Sayuri's hand also vanished. "We're done. Let's go," Sayuri stated. Ren followed the redhead, while Chinatsu paused.

"Good luck trying to get past an electrified crystal barrier and a loving plant," she taunted before turning on her heels to go after her friends, ignoring the shouts of the Kumogakure ninja.

"Where do you two want to go now?" Ren asked once Chinatsu caught up.

"Somewhere with food," Sayuri said shortly while Chinatsu shrugged.

"We'll go to Kusagakure then," Ren decided, "I want to get a bingo book while we're at it."

The three girls picked up the pace and arrived in Kusa after a few hours of travel. Sayuri and Chinatsu went to buy some snacks while Ren went to a small bookstore and bought the latest version of the bingo book. As she flipped through it, Sayuri and Chinatsu returned. Both were snacking on some fruit they had bought.

"Anything new in there?" Sayuri asked between mouthfuls of apple.

"Nothing, really," Ren reported, "We're still listed as B-ranked criminals, even though we haven't done anything except leave our villages."

"Kumo, Kiri, and Konoha are prone to overreacting," Chinatsu said as she finished off her banana, "Anything else in there?"

"There is," Ren said, "Two more C-ranked criminals. They call themselves the Opposition Duet."

"The Opposition Duet?" Sayuri repeated critically, "What kind of name is that?"

"It's not the name that matters," Ren objected, examining the bingo book, "It's the abilities of the shinobi that count."

"But why the Opposition Duet?" Sayuri repeated, "Are they rebelling against something?"

"The bingo book doesn't say," Chinatsu said, taking the book from Ren, "But it's not really any of our business, is it?"

"I was just curious," Sayuri grumbled, "Anyway, let's hurry up and find somewhere to stay. People are going to start finding out our identities soon."

"Yes, let's go," Chinatsu agreed, handing Ren a pear, "This is for you."

"Thank you." Ren accepted the fruit and bit into it as the trio left the village and entered a small forest to find a safe place to camp.

**To be continued in ****Chapter 2: The Opposition Duet****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	2. The Opposition Duet

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

* * *

_**Chapter 2: The Opposition Duet**_

A young woman, about 20 years old, dashed through the busy market streets of southern Yukigakure. She carried a bunch of apples in her arms, which she had recently stolen from a man selling fruit. Her black, waist-length hair flowed behind her, and her black traveling cloak flapped around her ankles.

A couple yards away was the angry merchant that she had taken from. He was a fat man, so the woman didn't have to worry about him catching up.

"You witch!" he shouted, waddling after the woman as fast as he could, "You wait until I get my hands on you. I'll make you pay for those apples that you took from me!"

The woman ignored him and took a small bite out of one of the stolen apples. A satisfied look appeared on her face as she said, "Huh. These apples are pretty tasty." She glanced down at the other apples she held and frowned. Holding onto the bitten apple with her teeth, she plucked out another apple, which had a small hole in it.

"This one's no good," she muttered to herself in a muffled voice, tossing the rotten apple over her shoulder. A few more suspicious-looking pieces of fruit followed, leaving behind the few apples that the woman was happy with.

Now, she took a running jump and landed on the straw roof of a nearby house. Turning around, she cast a quick smile at the fat merchant, who was red-faced and panting on the ground.

"Thank you very much for the apples, Merchant-san!" she called in a teasing voice.

"You little wench!" the merchant bellowed, his face swelling with fury, "I'm going to cleave you into a thousand pieces next time I see you!"

The woman did a little fake wince. "So violent…" she said, "Well, until next time, Merchant-san!" With that, she leapt off the roof and vanished, leaving the fuming merchant behind.

A member of the crowd stepped forward and placed his hand on the merchant's shoulder. "Sir, are you alright?" he asked timidly.

"Damn it!" the merchant roared, throwing the person's hand off his shoulder and stalking his way through the crowd.

* * *

The woman sighed as she dashed through a thick forest, carrying the apples she had nicked earlier. "Geez," she murmured, "That merchant didn't even know that I slipped some money into his pocket before I took the apples. The coins probably fell out of his pocket when he was busy chasing me." She glanced behind her, imagining the merchant's reaction if he found out.

"Ah well, it can't be helped," she sighed as she arrived in front of the mouth of a large cave. Without hesitation, she walked inside, becoming engulfed by the darkness. The woman was completely undeterred by the black interior of the cave, and confidently made her way deeper inside.

"Hitomi!" she called as the faint glow of candlelight appeared ahead, "I'm back!"

She walked into the small cavern. A single candle flickered in the center, casting eerie-looking shadows on the walls. As the black-haired woman put the apples down on a nearby, jutting ledge, a voice rang around the room.

"You're late, Kiyoko."

A young woman with yellow hair stepped out from the shadows with a small smile on her face. Kiyoko let a look of surprise cross her face.

"Hitomi, you can move already?" she asked, tossing an apple to the yellow-haired woman.

Hitomi caught the fruit and bit into it. "Yeah. I healed faster than I thought I would."

"Well, that's great!" Kiyoko said, "Now we can go back to getting food and such together. You're faster than me, after all."

"But you come up with better ideas," Hitomi countered, "Getting food isn't a problem for us thanks to that brain of yours." She tossed aside the apple core and reached for another one.

"And when we need to make a quick getaway, your skills are useful," Kiyoko pointed out, "You could say that our collaboration is necessary for our survival."

Hitomi laughed. "Okay, okay. You win." She walked to the side of the cavern and sat down with a sigh. "I still can't remain standing for too long though."

"Stop sounding so depressed," Kiyoko said, "Everyone has at least one weakness, even those with a Kekkei Touta."

"Some weaknesses are more troublesome than others," Hitomi said quietly. Then, she raised her voice slightly, "Kiyoko, I've been thinking about moving farther north."

"North? How far?"

"Just until we can see the snow covering the ground," Hitomi explained, "I thought we should get a chance to see snow. It never snowed in Iwagakure, and I'm fairly certain it never snowed in Sunagakure either."

"No, it didn't," Kiyoko answered, amusement in her voice at the thought of Suna covered in snow, "And you're right. I think we'd both like to see some snow before we die."

"Kiyoko!"

"As shinobi, we may die at any time!" Kiyoko defended, "Therefore, we should live every day as though we're going to die tomorrow."

Hitomi groaned. "Why did I become a rogue in the first place?"

"Because my Kekkei Touta got me exiled from Suna, and you decided to come with me because you thought I might get lonely," Kiyoko replied happily, tossing a third apple to Hitomi.

Hitomi rolled her eyes as she caught the apple. "Are we still ranked C in the bingo book?"

"Yep!" Kiyoko answered, munching on her second apple, "Our villages are still unwilling to tell the public about our skills."

"I see. Well, I can't really object because we've had enough drama in our lives without having ANBU chase us everywhere," Hitomi said, "When do you want to leave and head north?"

"Well, we can't travel when you're still immobile from using your Kekkei Touta," Kiyoko said, "How about after you fully recover?"

"Sounds good to me," Hitomi agreed, eyeing the last apple on the ledge, "Do you want that?"

Kiyoko tossed the last apple to her best friend.

**To be continued in Chapter 3: The Akatsuki Sets Out!**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	3. The Akatsuki Sets Out!

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

* * *

_**Chapter 3: The Akatsuki Sets Out!**_

A faint dripping sound echoed around the empty, damp, and cold cavern. Stalactites reached down from the ceiling, and stalagmites grew from the floor. A single light shone in the center of the hollow, barely lighting up a radius of ten feet around it.

With a weak _buzz, _a figure appeared near the light. He was merely an outline. A ghost. He looked around the room with ringed eyes before clapping his hands together in a seal.

"_Assemble," _he rumbled. His voice rasped with a mechanical sound, as though he was a robot.

A few seconds of silence passed before more buzzing noises filled the cave. Eight more figures materialized in the room. There was only one female, who stood next to the one who appeared first.

The other seven men were spread out around the light in a circle. They weren't the most normal-looking. One man looked as though he had a Venus flytrap growing around him. Another had small, beady eyes, while a third had eyes that were black and red. A fourth figure looked as though he was hunched over, like an old man.

As all eyes turned to the figure that first appeared, a calm hush settled over the group. The one with the ringed eyes cast a glance at the other eight before he began to speak.

"_Akatsuki, there is something that requires discussion," _he said, authority ringing in his voice, "_It regards possible new recruits."_

"_More new members?"_ the hunched figure repeated, _"We just got the brat and Hidan not too long ago."_

"_Sasori-no-Danna!"_ a member with some of his hair tied in a high ponytail shouted, _"I'm not a brat, hmm!"_

"_Says the one who sulked for a month after being recruited," _Sasori retorted, _"You have some nerve, Deidara."_

"_Enough," _the man with the ringed eyes interrupted before the argument could escalate, _"I don't want any fighting here. Kakuzu, please tell us about these three potential new recruits."_

A tall man spoke up. _"They are three kunoichi: Sayuri, Chinatsu, and Ren. These three are ranked B in the bingo book and have been known to set up traps and work as a team to thwart even jonin, despite the three of them being Chunin-leveled ninja."_

"_Is that all?" _the man with the beady eyes asked, _"They don't sound that special to me."_

"_Do not be so quick to judge, Kisame," _the ring-eyed man, who was obviously the leader, said, _"Zetsu has been watching them for the past two months and noticed that all three kunoichis possess a Kekkei Genkai. Tell them what you saw, Zetsu."_

"_Sayuri, from Kirigakure, uses the Storm Release," _the man with the Venus flytrap growing around him informed the others, _"Chinatsu, from Kumogakure, uses the Crystal Release, and Ren, from Konohagakure, uses the Plant Release."_

"_Leader, I think it would benefit the Akatsuki more if we killed them and turned them in for money," _Kakuzu said, _"They are worth quite a bit, and Akatsuki would gain a lot from it."_

The leader raked his eyes through the line of Akatsuki members. _"Those who agree with Kakuzu?" _he questioned.

"_I want to use them as new puppets," _Sasori spoke up, _"My collection is getting low."_

"_Can I eat them?"_ Zetsu asked, _"They look tasty."_

"_Let's recruit them!" _a male with a triple-bladed scythe said loudly.

"_I agree with Hidan," _Kisame said, _"They could replace any members we might lose in the future."_

"_Hey, I only want to recruit them because old moneybags wants to kill them," _Hidan said, ignoring the glare that Kakuzu shot at him.

"_I say we let them join, hmm," _Deidara said, _"The more, the better."_

The leader's eyes turned to the two members who haven't spoken at all yet. _"What are your opinions, Itachi? Konan?" _he inquired.

The man with the red-and-black eyes, Itachi, said nothing, choosing instead to merely close his eyes. However, his leader understood his meaning completely.

"_I see," _the leader stated and turned to the woman, _"Konan?"_

"_I say we let them join, Pein," _she replied.

Pein nodded once. _"They will be joining our ranks,"_ he announced to the others, _"Deidara and Sasori will be in charge of finding them and recruiting them into the Akatsuki."_

"_Understood," _Sasori replied, somewhat reluctantly.

"_Got it, Leader, yeah!" _Deidara answered more enthusiastically.

"_The three of them are in Kusagakure," _Zetsu informed the two. Suddenly, his voice became deeper and raspier, "_**They just entered that place a few days ago.**_"

With two buzzing sounds, Sasori's and Deidara's outlines wavered and vanished, leaving seven figures in the cavern.

Pein turned to Kakuzu. _"Keep an eye out for more shinobi that show promise," _he ordered, _"Notify me or Konan immediately if you find more."_

"_Yes, Leader." _Kakuzu's figure disappeared and Hidan's followed, leaving five left in the cave.

"_Zetsu, continue watching the three kunoichi," _Pein said, _"Itachi and Kisame, continue as you were."_

The three named shinobi voiced their understandings and left. With nothing to discuss, Pein and Konan dispelled their holograms as well, returning the cave to its former state of silence.

**To be continued in ****Chapter 4: A Forceful Request****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	4. A Forceful Request

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

* * *

_**Chapter 4: A Forceful Request**_

Ren calmly bit into a slice of bread as she watched Sayuri spar with Chinatsu. They were currently practicing taijutsu, and Sayuri was just getting more and more frustrated as Chinatsu continued to dodge her assaults. The ground was littered with small cracks and fissures from Sayuri's powerful kicks, and Ren occasionally had to move from her spot to avoid getting showered by bits of dust that Sayuri stirred up.

"Damn it, Chinatsu!" Sayuri shouted, breathing heavily, "Stop moving around."

"But then I would get hit," Chinatsu retorted in the falsely arrogant tone that Sayuri hated so much, "It defies the purpose of training if I just stand around and let you get me."

Sayuri gave an angry twitch and charged with her fist raised to punch Chinatsu. However, the latter merely moved to the side, letting the redhead slip right past her. To spite her friend a little further, Chinatsu stuck out her foot and tripped Sayuri, making the former Kirigakure ninja fall on her face.

Ren sighed as she watched the display. "Sayuri, why can't you just grasp the concept of taijutsu? It's not that hard."

"Shut up, Ren!" Sayuri snapped, pushing herself to her feet while Chinatsu stood by and watched, "I just suck at taijutsu, okay?"

"No, it's not okay," Ren answered, finishing her bread and approaching her two friends, "What if you have to face an opponent who's an expert at taijutsu, and neither me nor Chinatsu are around to help? You'd be finished."

"You lack balance," Chinatsu added, "Besides, you should have rolled and jumped back onto your feet when I tripped you, instead of just falling flat on your face."

"I can't do complicated moves like that," Sayuri huffed, crossing her arms.

"I'll help you after we do ninjutsu training," Ren said, "Who wants to spar with me?"

"I'll do it!" Sayuri volunteered immediately. Chinatsu shrugged and went to sit down on a nearby boulder as Ren and Sayuri took on battle stances facing each other.

Sayuri was the first one to make a move. "_Storm Release: Lightning Bullets!"_ she shouted, forming the necessary seals and swiping both hands through the air, sending ten bullets of crackling electricity at Ren.

Ren reacted quickly, making a series of hand signs and slapping her palms on the ground. "_Plant Release: Bud Shield!"_

Large flower petals burst from the ground around Ren and surrounded her in a 360 shield. Sayuri's lightning bullets hit the petals and exploded. When the smoke cleared, the bud was revealed to be completely undamaged. The petals shrank back into the earth, revealing that Ren had vanished. Sayuri turned her head this way and that, keeping an eye out for the brown-haired kunoichi.

"_Plant Release: Pine Needle Rain!"_

Sayuri turned around just in time to see Ren fire a swarm of pine needles at her. However, before she could do anything to counter the attack, she saw bits of clay floating through the air at the approaching mass of pine needles.

"Katsu!"

The bits of clay exploded, knocking Ren's attack off course. All three kunoichi went on full alert as two men entered the training clearing.

Both men wore black cloaks with red cloud patterns. One of them was young and had long, blonde hair. His eyes were blue, although the left one was covered by long bangs, and his mouth was curled into a smirk.

The second man was hunched over, had small, black eyes, and wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face. There was a faint clacking sound whenever he moved.

The blonde one turned to his companion and asked, "They're the ones, right, Sasori-no-Danna?"

"Obviously," the one who was hunched over replied, "You saw their pictures in the bingo book, Deidara."

Deidara made a satisfied 'heh' sound. "Finally, yeah."

"Excuse me, but who are you and what are you doing here?" Ren asked, her eyes flicking warily between the two cloaked men.

Sasori lifted his head slightly to glare at Ren. "You don't know who we are?" he asked incredulously.

"Those cloaks," Chinatsu suddenly said, her eyes narrowed in concentration, "I have seen a pattern like that before. In the bingo book."

"That's right, hmm," Deidara confirmed, his smile growing wider.

"Those cloaks were in the S-ranked criminal section," Chinatsu continued. Her eyes suddenly grew wide. "You can't be…Akatsuki!"

"Bingo, yeah!" Deidara applauded.

"One of them finally remembered," Sasori muttered to himself.

Ren stepped forward. "And what does a group of S-ranked criminals want with B-ranked criminals such as ourselves?" she inquired.

"What else would it be, hmm?" Deidara retorted, "Our leader wants you three for the organization. Therefore, Sasori-no-Danna and I were sent to recruit you three."

"What?" Sayuri exclaimed, "You Akatsuki just waltz in here and expect us to join you? Who do you think you are?"

"Sayuri, calm down," Ren commanded. The redhead gave an angry huff but folded her arms and fell silent. Ren turned back to the Akatsuki members. "Sorry, but you'll have to go back and tell your leader that the three of us have no intention of joining Akatsuki."

"Huh?" Deidara asked, "Who said we were giving you a choice, yeah?"

"You arrogant little…!" Sayuri spat as she charged at the blonde with a lightning jutsu prepared. Ren jumped forward as well and grasped Sayuri by the back of the redhead's shirt collar. Deidara and Sasori watched calmly as Sayuri and Ren began to argue.

"Let go, Ren!" Sayuri snarled, glaring at the brown-haired kunoichi.

Ren refused to budge. "Don't be rash! You cannot hope to take both of them on by yourself."

"Ren is right, Sayuri," Chinatsu said, walking over from the boulder where she sat earlier, "They are both S-ranked criminals, and the three of us are B-ranked. They are too powerful for us to defeat."

"I have an idea, yeah," Deidara announced lazily, "One of you fights against either me or Sasori-no-Danna. If you win, then you can go free. If you lose, then you have to join the Akatsuki."

"It would still be impossible for us to win," Chinatsu countered, "One S-ranked against one B-ranked?"

"Have you never heard of luck, woman?" Sasori growled, glaring at the three kunoichi, "Hurry up. I hate waiting."

Ren, Sayuri, and Chinatsu looked at each other and made their decision in a brief moment.

"Very well. We accept your challenge."

**To be continued in ****Chapter 5: Red Clouds****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	5. Red Clouds

_**This story is split into three major arcs that are divided into many little arcs. The opening theme will change for every major arc, and each opening theme has something to do with what happens in each major arc.**_

* * *

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

* * *

_**Chapter 5: Red Clouds**_

"Who will fight whom?" Ren asked.

Deidara grinned. "Pick who's fighting for your side. Then, the one who's fighting can pick either me or Sasori-no-Danna, hmm."

"I will fight," Chinatsu volunteered.

"No," Ren objected, "Your moves are best used for defense. You'll only be able to protect yourself if you fight. I'll do the fighting."

"Your skills aren't exactly best at offense either," Chinatsu argued, "You're more of a medic and trap-setter."

"I'll fight!" Sayuri suddenly shouted, making all the attention turn to her.

"Sayuri?" Ren exclaimed in surprise.

Sayuri ignored Ren and jabbed a finger at Deidara, who looked as though he was enjoying the argument among the three kunoichi. "I'm going to fight the pansy blonde!" the redhead declared loudly.

The look on Deidara's face immediately changed to one of annoyance and fury. "Pansy…blonde?" he growled, looking as though he wanted to strangle Sayuri with his bare hands.

"Brat, just hurry up and beat her in the fight so we can hurry back to the base," Sasori snapped impatiently.

Sayuri and Deidara took up positions on opposite sides of the field. Deidara's smirk had returned, and he reached into a pouch that was attached to his waist. Sayuri got into a battle-ready stance, her green eyes focused on her opponent.

The red-haired kunoichi made the first move. She clapped her hands together into a seal and spat a condensed ball of water at the blonde. "_Water Release: Gunshot!"_

Deidara dodged the orb of water by jumping into the air. He withdrew his hand from his pouch and opened it to reveal a small clay bird. Releasing the bird into the air, the blonde put his hands together to form a seal. The clay figure immediately expanded in size and flapped its wings, letting Deidara land on its back.

Sayuri stared up at the airborne chunk of clay with a look of confusion. "What the hell is that?"

Deidara snickered. "What, hmm? Never seen a work of art before?"

"Brat, if that thing is called art, then I'm a mouse," Sasori muttered under his breath.

"That thing is ugly!" Sayuri shouted on purpose, instantly wiping the smirk off Deidara's face again.

"Don't insult my art, yeah!" he snarled, waving a hand through the air and scattering clay spiders on the ground around Sayuri. He made the seal with his hands and shouted, "Katsu!"

The clay spiders exploded, sending a large mass of dust and smoke into the air. Ren and Chinatsu quickly covered their noses and mouths and shut their eyes to protect themselves against the floating debris. Sasori didn't budge while there was no sign of Sayuri.

Deidara hovered a safe distance above the cloud of dust, watching for any warning of a counterattack. It came in the form of a bolt of lightning that burst out from the dust cloud, lashing in the direction of Deidara's clay bird.

The clay bird fluttered up and down in the air, dodging the attacks of the lightning jutsu. The blonde Akatsuki member grinned to himself, beginning to think that this battle was going to be a piece of cake. Suddenly, his bird lurched in midair and began to fall.

"What…?" Deidara exclaimed, looking around. Large holes drilled into the wings of his clay bird immediately caught his attention. Glancing past his bird and at the ground, he saw Sayuri staring up at him with a satisfied smirk on her face.

While he was distracted, the lightning whip flew through the air and sliced the bird's head off. Deidara quickly jumped off and landed safely on the ground, just as the last of the debris cleared to reveal another Sayuri in front of him, holding the lightning whip.

"Not bad, un," Deidara said, "While you were covered by the dust, you made a clone and used a lightning jutsu to keep me distracted while your clone took down my clay bird, hmm."

"Heh," Sayuri scoffed as her clone collapsed to the ground in a puddle of water, "I may not be particularly skilled in other areas, but my ninjutsu is my strongest point."

Chinatsu groaned quietly while Ren smacked her forehead with her palm. "Idiot," Chinatsu muttered.

Deidara smirked. "Oh, really, hmm? Ninjutsu is my strongest point as well." He reached into his pouch again and took out more clay spiders. "This is my art, yeah!" He threw one handful at Sayuri and made his signature hand sign. "Katsu!"

Sayuri jumped out of the way just in time to dodge the multiple explosions. As she landed a few feet away, she was unprepared for the kick that Deidara aimed at her. Unable to block or dodge, the redhead took the blow to the chest and flew back. However, before she could hit a tree or boulder, she flipped in midair and skidded to a halt. Straightening up, the first thing Sayuri noticed was the crazed smirk on Deidara's face.

"I'm gonna finish this, un!" he declared, "Sorry, yeah."

A flash of white caught Sayuri's eye, and she looked down to see a clay spider clinging to her left sleeve. Before Sayuri could react, Deidara made his hand sign for the fourth time and shouted in a triumphant voice.

"Katsu!"

* * *

"Sayuri, for the last time, will you stop sulking?" Chinatsu sighed as the three girls followed Sasori and Deidara to the closest Akatsuki hideout.

"I don't get it," Sayuri gumbled, rubbing her bandaged left arm, "If it was absolutely certain that we'd lose, why did we even fight?"

"Two reasons," Ren jumped in, "We couldn't refuse no matter how much we wanted to, and we had to protect our pride."

"Pride…?" Sayuri muttered sarcastically as the group of five stopped in front of a large boulder. Deidara and Sasori both made a hand sign, making the boulder slowly rise into the air, revealing the giant cavern behind it.

Seven ninjas wearing cloaks like Sasori's and Deidara's were standing in a line in the center of the cave. Once the five were inside, the boulder returned to its original position, plunging the cave into darkness with the exception of the lit torches along the walls. Sasori and Deidara took up their positions in the line as a man with orange hair and many black piercings began to speak.

"Everyone, we have three new members of Akatsuki as of today," he said, his voice ringing with authority and power.

All eyes were focused on the three kunoichi as Pein, leader of Akatsuki continued to speak. "Sayuri of Kirigakure. Chinatsu of Kumogakure. Ren of Konohagakure. I will make it clear that betrayal is not allowed in this organization. You will serve Akatsuki until your deaths, do you understand?"

All three girls murmured their understanding and Pein nodded in approval. "Konan," he directed.

The blue-haired origami ninja stepped forward, carrying three sets of Akatsuki cloaks and three rings. Sayuri, Chinatsu, and Ren each reluctantly took one ring and one cloak. They slipped the rings onto their fingers and put the cloaks on over their normal clothes.

"Welcome to the Akatsuki," Konan said, her face and voice betraying no emotion.

"Well, at least Konan-san will be happier now that there are four women in Akatsuki," Kisame stated, grinning at them and showing his pointy teeth.

"Four? What are you talking about?" Sayuri blurted out, "There are five women, aren't there?"

Chinatsu gave Sayuri an exasperated look. "What are _you _talking about, Sayuri?"

"There's the three of us…" Sayuri gestured at Chinatsu, Ren, and herself, "…there's that woman over there…" she jabbed her finger at Konan, who blinked calmly, "…and there's that pansy blonde!" She directed that last bit at Deidara.

A vein bulged angrily in Deidara's temple. There was a brief moment of silence before Hidan burst out laughing. The zealot clutched his stomach and rolled around on the stone floor, letting out loud hoots of mirth. Sayuri stared from Hidan to Deidara with a confused look.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Oh, Jashin!" Hidan howled, "That's the funniest damned thing I've heard all day!"

Chinatsu cleared her throat lightly and turned her head away from Sayuri while Ren sighed and leaned down slightly to whisper something in Sayuri's ear. The redhead's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she let out a shocked exclamation.

"Whaaaat!"

**To be continued in ****Chapter 6: First Assignment****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	6. First Assignment

_**I'm in a very good mood today, so have another update! :)**_

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**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

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_**Chapter 6: First Assignment**_

"Enough," Pein cut into Deidara's and Sayuri's argument calmly, "I have an assignment for our three new members."

"What?" Sayuri said in surprise, "Already, carrot-top?"

Pein's ring-eyed glare intensified. "Let me make this clear: while you are a member of Akatsuki, you will call me 'Leader,' not anything else."

Sayuri wisely backed off. "Yes, Leader," she grumbled, while Chinatsu and Ren let out sighs of relief.

"Good," Pein said coldly, "Now, your assignment is for us to see your skills. The three of you will go out to Takigakure to capture the Nanabi."

"You want us to capture a Bijuu?" Sayuri repeated, unable to help herself.

"That is what I said." A hint of impatience crept into Pein's voice, "If you three manage to capture the Bijuu successfully, then you are worthy of Akatsuki. If you fail, then you will most likely be killed by the Jinchuriki."

Sayuri mumbled something under her breath, and before Pein could say anything, Hidan spoke up loudly.

"Hey, Leader! Why don't we just give them a damn test here?" he asked, not bothering to adopt a polite tone or refrain from using strong language.

This time, it was Chinatsu who spoke, "Oh, dear," she taunted in her falsely arrogant voice, "You shouldn't have such a dirty mouth around women."

Hidan immediately rounded on the white-haired kunoichi. "What was that?" he snarled, his violet eyes sparking with anger. He reached behind him and grabbed the triple-bladed scythe attached to his back.

"Are you deaf as well?" Chinatsu probed further, seeing Hidan as an easy target for her sarcastic remarks.

Hidan opened his mouth to retort, but Pein interrupted their argument before it could escalate into an all-out fight.

"Stop!" he commanded, "Ren, Chinatsu, and Sayuri will leave for Takigakure _now_. Hidan and Kakuzu, continue collecting bounties for the organization. Itachi and Kisame, remember to deal with those Otogakure spies. Zetsu, keep an eye out for more possible recruitments. Sasori and Deidara, I will speak with you two about your next assignment."

Hidan, Kakuzu, Itachi, and Kisame immediately left, although Hidan shot Chinatsu a nasty glare before Kakuzu grabbed him by the neck and dragged him out of the cave. Zetsu sank into the ground, vanishing in a matter of seconds. Pein, Konan, Sasori, and Deidara retreated deeper into the cave, leaving the three girls completely alone.

"Well, that went _really _well," Ren muttered, running a hand through her brown hair as the three kunoichi left for Takigakure.

A couple hours later, the group of three arrived at the border of Takigakure. They snuck in easily, being experts at avoiding guards after years of experience. Once safely inside the village, they began to walk around, looking for the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi, Fuu.

As they looked around, all three girls noticed that the villagers were staring at them with fear and hate in their eyes. Wherever the Akatsuki kunoichi walked, the people of Takigakure quickly cleared a path for them, clearly unwilling to be in their way.

"Akatsuki must be very feared if people are hiding in their homes just because we're standing in their village," Sayuri commented, watching as a mother herded two children into a nearby house, slamming the door behind her.

"The Akatsuki is filled with a S-ranked criminals who kill without batting an eye," Chinatsu replied, "And we've just joined them."

"Tch," Sayuri hissed, "They shouldn't think that all Akatsuki members are exactly the same though. If we were going to kill them, we would have done so already!"

"Even so, the Akatsuki's reputation could actually be of some help here," Ren said and walked up to a young man, who immediately paled at the sight of an Akatsuki member approaching him.

"Y-Yes, ma'am?" he squeaked, trembling so hard that Ren could hear his teeth chattering.

"Where is the Jinchuriki for the Nanabi?" Ren asked, keeping her voice as non-threatening as possible.

"Y-You mean Fuu?" the man stammered, "I-I don't know where sh-she is now. She w-was here yesterday, but…"

"But what?" Ren asked, effectively scaring the man even more without meaning to.

"Sh-She left just about a-an hour before you arrived!" he whimpered, "Th-That way!" He pointed down a path that led deep into a patch of woodland.

Ren glanced in that direction before turning back to the man. "Thank you," she said and dropped some money into the man's hand as payment for the information. Then, she turned and beckoned to Chinatsu and Sayuri. The three of them walked calmly into the woods, leaving the mass of surprised and shocked people behind.

It wasn't very long before Chinatsu tapped Ren on the shoulder and pointed towards an especially bushy area in the forest. Squinting in the direction Chinatsu had gestured, Ren distinguished a barely-noticeable minty green color from the darker greens of the forest. She gave Sayuri a nod.

Sayuri nodded back before running through a series of hand signs and sending a bolt of lightning at the area. The person quickly jumped out of his or her hiding spot, evading the beam of electricity. The ninja zipped through the trees, nothing more than a dark blur. The three Akatsuki kunoichi quickly chased after their target.

As they burst through the last bit of the trees, Chinatsu, Ren, and Sayuri skidded to a halt as they saw that the person they were pursuing had stopped in the field in front of them. Their target was also a kunoichi who had short and spiky mint-green hair and orange eyes. In her hair was an orange hair clip and she wore a short, sleeveless, and white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath. She also wore a pair of fishnet shorts and a short, white apron skirt over it. On her arms were long, white armlets, and her forehead protector was tied around her right arm. She carried a cylindrical object wrapped in red cloth on her back, and her hands were currently placed together in a seal.

Ren, Chinatsu, and Sayuri realized that they had walked into a trap as the kunoichi opened her mouth and exhaled a bright powder that continuously grew brighter and brighter until it was blinding. _Crap!_ The three Akatsuki members were forced to squeeze their eyes shut against the painful light, leaving themselves open for attack.

**To be continued in ****Chapter 7: The Capture of the Nanabi****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	7. The Capture of the Nanabi

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

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_**Chapter 7: The Capture of the Nanabi**_

As the three kunoichi involuntarily shut their eyes against the bright light of their target's jutsu, they felt sharp pains attack their arms and legs. As the light receded, all three of them had various gashes over their limbs: Chinatsu's sleeves were being stained red, Ren had blood trickling down her legs, and Sayuri had one hand placed over a scratch on her cheek.

Meanwhile, the kunoichi with the mint-green hair stood in front of them, holding a blood-stained kunai. She glared at the three Akatsuki members with her orange eyes and jabbed her kunai in their direction. "Who are you, and why are you attacking me, ssu?"

"S-Ssu?" Sayuri exclaimed, "What is she, a tomboy?"

"You have a problem with that, ssu?" the kunoichi snapped back before Ren stepped forward in a nonthreatening manner.

"We have no problem with the way you speak," she said, "We just have one question to ask you."

The kunoichi frowned. "What?"

"Is your name Fuu?" Ren asked calmly, "Otherwise known as the Jinchuriki of the Nanabi?"

"That's me, ssu," Fuu replied, smirking, "Now what do you people want?"

Chinatsu took a few steps closer to Fuu, who immediately zeroed in on the white-haired kunoichi, looking for signs of any suspicious movements. "The Akatsuki requires the assistance of your Bijuu for our goals."

"And what goals would that be, ssu?"

Sayuri, Chinatsu, and Ren looked at each other as they realized that Pein had never told them exactly what the Akatsuki was trying to achieve. Fuu gave a derisive snort before beginning to walk away.

"Sorry, but I have no intention of helping the Akatsuki, ssu," she said, "Go find someone else."

Suddenly, gigantic, thorny vines erupted from the ground in front of Fuu, forming a physical barrier before the Jinchuriki and making her stop in her tracks.

"You intend to fight me, ssu?" Fuu asked in a dangerous tone, turning around to glare at Ren, "Are you sure about that, Akatsuki?"

"Your cooperation would be very appreciated, Jinchuriki," Ren retorted just as dangerously. Then, she turned to Chinatsu and asked, "Are you ready?"

"I just figured it out," Chinatsu replied as she went through a series of hand seals, "_Crystal Release: Crystal Mirrors."_

Fuu clapped her hands together in a seal. "_Hiden: Hiding in Scale Powder Technique."_ She opened her mouth and once again, exhaled the same shiny powder that had blinded the Akatsuki kunoichi not too long ago.

Unfortunately, Fuu had fallen right into Chinatsu's trap. The crystal mirrors that surrounded Fuu began to glow, reflecting the light from the Jinchuriki's attack right back into Fuu's orange eyes. The crystal mirrors were angled just right, so that the Akatsuki weren't heavily affected by the light that managed to avoid being reflected, but Fuu took most of the hit.

"Damn you, ssu," she growled as she shut her eyes and covered them with her hands. Ren took the chance to perform a jutsu, which caused thick vines to sprout from the ground and wrap themselves around Fuu, immobilizing the Takigakure shinobi.

When the light finally faded, Fuu glared at the three kunoichi. "You little…!" she growled as she began to struggle against the vines that held her in place.

"It's useless," Ren stated, "Unless you find a way to move, you won't be able to perform any taijutsu or ninjutsu that could get you out of those vines. You're stuck."

Fuu fell still and let a knowing smile creep across her face. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," she stated as a swirling mass of chakra became visible around her.

Ren's eyes widened and she jumped back just in time to avoid the explosion of chakra that snapped all of her vines and destroyed Chinatsu's crystal mirrors. A giant cloud of dust rose into the air as a result of the sudden growth in chakra, and when it settled back down, Fuu was free from her bonds and covered in a coat of black and red chakra with one tail waving around in the air.

The Jinchuriki let out a low snarl as she crouched on the ground, focusing her eyes on the three Akatsuki members in front of her. Sayuri gulped and turned to Ren and Chinatsu.

"What do we do now?"

"We capture it," Ren said matter-of-factly.

"Easier said than done," Chinatsu muttered as she quickly dodged a punch thrown by Fuu in her Bijuu mode.

About an hour later, the three kunoichi finally managed to subdue a two-tailed Fuu using an electrically-charged barrier of crystal walls to create an area charged with electric particles that kept up a lightning charge to paralyze the Jinchuriki. While Fuu was down, Ren used a highly effective binding jutsu tied Fuu up. As the three Akatsuki members sat down to rest, a familiar plant-man appeared from the ground.

"Not bad for a bunch of newbies. **Although it would have been less messy if one of the more experienced members did the capturing…**" Zetsu said, observing the battlefield.

"Zetsu-san," Ren greeted, "What do we do now?"

"**Take the Jinchuriki to the base that is five miles west of here. **Everyone's waiting," Zetsu said as he sunk back into the ground, leaving no sign that he had ever been there.

As the three Akatsuki kunoichi entered the base that Zetsu mentioned, they were indeed greeted by the rest of the members and a gigantic demonic statue that held its two hands out in front of it. Pein spoke from his position on the statue's right thumb.

"_Place the Jinchuriki in the center and stay at the edges of the cave,_" he ordered, his hologram eyes looking down at the three girls.

Ren made her vine release the unconscious Fuu, placing the Takigakure kunoichi on the ground, and backed away to the outskirts of the room with Sayuri and Chinatsu.

Pein's hologram proceeded to make a few hand seals, "_Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals._"

Nine blue chakra dragons burst from the mouth of the statue and converged onto the unconscious body of Fuu, completely encasing her and lifting her into the air. A red substance began to leak from her mouth and eyes, flowing into the statue.

"_This sealing process will take three days,_" Pein announced, "_Stay aware of your physical bodies. You three might as well find someplace comfortable to sit,_" he added to the three kunoichi standing near the wall.

It wasn't until the third day of the sealing when Kakuzu announced some news for the organization.

"_I have found two more shinobi who may be of use to Akatsuki, Leader_," Kakuzu informed. Pein focused his ring-eyed gaze on the tall, masked man.

"_Who?_" the Akatsuki leader asked.

"_Their names are Kiyoko and Hitomi,_" Kakuzu replied, "_In the bingo book, they are listed as C-ranked criminals, and they are currently hiding in Yukigakure._"

"_C-ranked?_" Sasori questioned, "_How would a couple of C-ranked kunoichi benefit this organization? Are you out of your mind, Kakuzu?_"

Kakuzu shot the puppet master a glare before continuing, "_They are C-ranked in the bingo book, but I believe they may be hiding their power. They have managed to evade ANBU-class shinobi for years now."_

Pein remained silent, his eyes closed in concentration. Every Akatsuki member waited silently for the leader to make the final decision. Inside the blue barrier, Fuu let out another gurgling noise as more the Nanabi's chakra was drained from her body.

Finally, Pein opened his eyes again. "_Very well,_" he said, "_Itachi, Kisame, Chinatsu, Ren, and Sasori will go to Yukigakure to find and recruit Kiyoko and Hitomi. Go right after the Nanabi is completely sealed._"

"_Leader, what about me, un?_" Deidara asked, confused as to why his partner was going while he wasn't.

"_You have a village to destroy, Deidara,_" Pein reminded him, "_You will be taking Sayuri with you._"

"_What?_" Sayuri and Deidara exclaimed at the same time before giving each other dirty looks. However, a look from their leader made them both fall silent.

With a final groan, the last bit of Bijuu chakra left Fuu's body. The blue barrier surrounding the former Jinchuriki vanished, and the corpse fell to the ground with a dull thud. Pein gazed down at it indifferently as he said, "_Chinatsu, Ren, Sasori, Itachi, and Kisame. You will get together at the southern border of Yukigakure and search for the two kunoichi together. Failure will not be tolerated, understood?"_

"_Yes, Leader,_" Itachi said before his hologram vanished with a buzzing noise. Kisame followed his partner, and Sasori disappeared soon after. One by one, the rest of the Akatsuki left, leaving Chinatsu, Ren, and Sayuri alone in the cave.

"If you die, I'm going to kill you," Sayuri said, glaring at Chinatsu and Ren with her green eyes.

"But we'd already be dead, fool," Chinatsu retorted as she and Ren left the Akatsuki hideout and headed in the direction of Yukigakure.

**To be continued in ****Chapter 8: Footprints in the Snow****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	8. Footprints in the Snow

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

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_**Chapter 8: Footprints in the Snow**_

Chinatsu, Ren, Itachi, Kisame, and Sasori made their way through a dense coniferous forest along the southern border of Yukigakure. The five of them had met up about ten minutes ago, and so far, Kisame and Ren had been the only ones to say more than one word. Itachi and Sasori didn't seem inclined to break the silence, and Chinatsu didn't have Sayuri around to tease, so she remained quiet as well.

Meanwhile, Ren and Kisame were having a quiet and casual conversation. "How did you come to join the Akatsuki, Kisame-san?" Ren inquired curiously.

Kisame grinned, showing his shark-like teeth. "The group was recommended to me by a superior," he replied, "What about you? Why did you leave Konoha?"

Ren's eyebrows rose slightly. "You know I'm from Konoha?"

"Well, of course. It was written in the bingo book," Kisame said, "Itachi-san's also from Konoha. Maybe you two knew each other before now?"

"No," Itachi said from where he walked next to Sasori. After he said his bit, the Uchiha returned to his silent state, not even bothering to glance back at neither his partner nor his fellow Konoha shinobi.

Ren mentally chastised herself for forgetting about such a thing before answering Kisame's previous question. "I left because my opinions were ignored by my medic ninja colleagues."

"You're a medic?" Kisame repeated. Then his grin grew, "About time Akatsuki had one of those. Kakuzu's stitching and Sasori's antidotes cannot be completely depended on."

Sasori gave an irritated twitch but made no movement to attack the tall, blue Akatsuki member. Instead, he started walking faster, in hopes of putting as much distance between himself and Kisame as possible.

Kisame was oblivious to the anger of the puppet master. Instead, he turned to Chinatsu and asked, "What about you, Chinatsu? Why did you leave Kumogakure?"

The young, white-haired kunoichi turned her head slightly to look at Kisame from the corner of her eye. "The Raikage did something rather…unforgivable."

Kisame frowned at Chinatsu's vague answer but didn't push it. Taking advantage of the silence, Ren decided to ask Kisame something that had been nagging her since the battle with Fuu.

"Kisame-san, what are the goals of the Akatsuki?"

"Hmm? Oh, right. Pein forgot to mention that to you three when you first joined," Kisame realized, "Well, as of right now, Akatsuki's goal is to gather all nine Bijuu and obtain a large amount of money to support ourselves."

"Why do we need the nine Bijuu?" Chinatsu asked.

"I don't know about that," Kisame said, "Leader never mentioned that, and nobody was daring enough to ask him."

By that time, the group of five had arrived in a small village. All five shinobi paused at the edge of the forest they just left and observed the activity of the village. Very few people were outside, and it seemed as though all the houses were built out of wood, mud, stone, and straw. A few livestock wandered the dirt road, gazing curiously at the Akatsuki before continuing on their way.

"Let's get this over with," Sasori growled, trudging forward. The strange clacking noise that appeared whenever Sasori moved made a nearby man look up in the direction of the Akatsuki. The effect was immediate: his skin paled and he began to shake uncontrollably.

"A-Akatsuki!" he cried, fleeing back in the direction of a small wooden shack a few yards away. However, Sasori wasn't going to let him escape so easily. A long, metal tail shot out from underneath the puppet master's black-and-red cloak and wrapped itself around the man, preventing him from moving another step.

"You're not going anywhere yet," Sasori declares, "I have a few questions for you, and you better answer them honestly unless you want to see your own entrails on the ground."

The man panicked so badly that Sasori had to spend the next five minutes resisting the temptation to spear the man as the latter babbled some nonsense about not wanting to die.

"Sir, we just wish to ask a question or two," Ren reassured, "We have no intention of taking your life."

The man's babbling ceased slightly, and he looked at Ren with fear in his eyes. "A-Akatsuki-san, I swear I have d-done nothing to…"

"I do not care about your hobbies or what you do in your life," Ren interrupted, "I'm only asking for what you know about the Opposition Duet."

"Th-The Opposition Duet? They were h-here just a few days ago. They went n-north!" The man pointed in the direction of north with a trembling finger.

Sasori made an impatient noise and tossed the man aside like a rag doll. "Let's go," he grumbled as the man fled for his life, "We've wasted enough time here."

The group headed north until they reached another small village. This time, Ren was the one to stop a passerby and inquire on the whereabouts of the Opposition Duet. She got the same answer: somewhere north.

The five of them traveled further and further in that direction. The difference in temperature became apparent as they reached a busy, marketing town. Ren and Chinatsu were both glad that their Akatsuki cloaks were warm; otherwise, they would have been frozen into unmoving popsicles by now.

The town they recently arrived at was surrounded by rugged hills. Despite this isolation, the town still teemed with life as people wandered around, buying and selling goods. The five Akatsuki members entered the market and quickly blended in with the mass of people.

"This place is so crowded," Chinatsu muttered as the group was jostled by the mass of shoppers.

"And considering the fact that this village is pretty isolated and that no one is running from us, screaming their heads off, I think it's safe to assume that the Akatsuki isn't well-known here," Ren deduced as she followed Kisame, who parted the crowd quite easily.

"Just shut up and search for the two kunoichi," Sasori growled, clearly irritated because he was the shortest at the moment, giving him the disadvantage in this situation.

The five of them ended up walking in a single file with Kisame leading due to his height. After a while of walking and looking around, Ren suggested, "Why don't we split up and search? We'll cover more area this way."

"It is getting dark anyway," Chinatsu stated, glancing at the sky, "We should hurry."

Sasori grunted. "Fine," he said, "You two kunoichi can stick together, and Itachi and Kisame can be a group. I'll be by myself."

No objections were raised to Sasori's organization, and the five of them were about to split up when a sudden call in their direction made them stop and spin around.

"Hey, you!"

**To be continued in ****Chapter 9: Kyo****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	9. Kyo

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

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_**Chapter 9: Kyo**_

"Who's shouting at us?" Ren mused as the five turned to look in the direction of which the shouts were coming from. Instead, they found a merchant yelling at a little beggar, who was sitting on the edge of a roof of a nearby building and happily tearing into a loaf of bread.

"You little twit, get down here!" the merchant yelled, throwing bits of food at the beggar to get the latter to come down. However, the beggar merely stuck out his tongue and caught the pieces of food as they came flying up.

On closer inspection, the Akatsuki could see that the beggar was a young boy of no older than the early twenties. He was dressed in a simple gray shirt and black pants that reached halfway below his knees and ankles. The ends of his shirt was tucked into his pants, and despite being a beggar, the boy didn't have a starved look. In fact, there was a mischievous little smirk on his face, and there was a piece of gray cloth wrapped around his head, keeping his hair from getting into his eyes.

The crowd began to gather around the building where the beggar boy sat, and the Akatsuki members were dragged along. People were pointing up at the boy, who was still snacking on the food he had obtained from the merchant, and were either laughing or shouting.

"Tch, damned beggar," Sasori growled as he was jostled by the crowd.

"He looks like a civilian. How did he get up there?" Chinatsu questioned, staring at the beggar boy with mild amusement.

"Probably used that," Ren pointed at a ladder that was lying on the ground, "And when he got up there, he kicked it down so that no one could follow him up."

Kisame chuckled, "Well, the little boy certainly knows how to stir up a riot."

"I said get down from there, you little brat!" the merchant shouted, now tossing pieces of fruit at the beggar, "I'm going to make you pay for stealing that food!"

The boy continued to smirk mischievously as he caught an apple and bit into it. The crowd watched as he finished it off in a few bites and tossed the core aside. By now, the merchant was red-faced with fury.

"I said come down!" he roared as he hurled a pear at the beggar boy with all his might.

Due to the crowd backing him farther and farther away from the building, the pear didn't even reach the boy. However, the boy leaned forward and reached out to catch the pear. He leaned a little too far…

…and slipped off the roof.

There was look of slight surprise on the boy's face as he fell from the roof, followed by a look of horror. Luckily, Ren reacted quickly and performed a Plant Release technique, making vines grow out of the ground and catch the boy before he became splatter-paint on the ground.

A smatter of applause came from the crowd as they witnessed the boy being lowered to the ground gently by Ren's vines. The shinobi herself pushed her way out of the crowd and stood in front of the beggar.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked, looking over the beggar for injuries. As she examined the boy, the rest of the Akatsuki had managed to free themselves from the crowd and were standing behind her.

Before the boy could answer, the merchant came running up with his fist in the air. "Why you sneaky little scoundrel…!"

Ren stepped between the merchant and the boy. "How much?" she asked calmly.

The merchant paused in his tracks. "Eh?"

"How much for the food he ate?" Ren repeated.

"1000 yen*, ma'am," the merchant quickly said, eyes practically sparkling at the opportunity to make money. Wordlessly, Ren reached into her cloak and took out the money, handing it to the merchant.

"Now, leave the boy alone," she ordered, but the merchant had already hurried off, clutching the money in his hands.

Sasori sighed. "It's too dark to search for the Opposition Duet now. We might as well find an inn and search tomorrow."

"Hey, boy," Chinatsu spoke to the beggar, who was staring after the merchant with a frown, "Do you know any good inns in this village?"

"Inns?" the boy repeated. His voice was softer and smoother than expected. "I know a good one. Follow me!" With that, he happily skipped off into the crowd, the Akatsuki on his heels.

After about ten minutes of walking through the streets, the boy stopped in front of a building. "Here you go!" he grinned, gesturing towards the structure.

"Thank you," Ren smiled at the boy, "May we have your name, please?"

"Oh, yeah. My name is Kiyo…!" A shout from the crowd suddenly interrupted the boy. The six of them turned around to see a different merchant running in their direction.

"You little rascal!" the merchant shouted, "I'm going to get you for the carrots you took from my stand yesterday!"

"Uh-oh," the beggar muttered, "Well, I have to go. Have a nice stay!" He waved to the Akatsuki members before diving into the crowd.

There was a brief moment of silence as the Akatsuki members watched the merchant chase after the boy. Then, Kisame said, "Well, looks like the boy is pretty infamous around here."

"What was his name again?" Ren asked.

"I believe it was Kyo," Chinatsu replied, tucking a long strand of white hair behind her ear, "Anyway, shall we go in?"

Upon entering, the five shinobi immediately knew that the inn provided very good service. The floors were clean and the lobby felt spacious, despite the large tables that were placed in the room. There was a small fountain built a wall, and there were civilians sitting around, quietly talking or playing Shogi.

Itachi went up to the front desk. "We would like two rooms," he told the clerk, who nodded and gave him two sets of keys. Itachi handed over some money and tossed one set over to Chinatsu, who caught it deftly.

"Third floor," Itachi informed the others monotonously. They all trudged upstairs and found their rooms, which were next door to each other.

After Ren had unlocked the door to her and Chinatsu's room, she slipped the key into her pocket. Suddenly, she paused and withdrew her hand. There was 1000 yen in her hand, although she was fairly certain that she had used the 1000 yen to pay for the food that Kyo had eaten.

"That's strange," she murmured as she slipped the money back into her pocket.

"What's strange?" Chinatsu asked, "Is there something wrong with the room?"

"Oh, no," Ren quickly said, "Just my imagination. Everything's fine."

Meanwhile, in the men's' room, Itachi suddenly stopped and stared into a mirror, examining his reflection. He frowned and touched the base of neck.

"Something wrong, Itachi?" Sasori asked from the corner where he sat. Kisame looked up and glanced over at the Uchiha, but Itachi merely shook his head.

"No. Nothing's wrong," he lied as he turned away from the mirror.

**To be continued in ****Chapter 10: Fruitless Search, Second Meeting****…**

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_**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**_

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_*I couldn't find a dollar to ryo converter so I just changed the currency in this story to yen._


	10. Fruitless Search, Second Meeting

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

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_**Chapter 10: Fruitless Search, Second Meeting**_

The next morning, the five Akatsuki members met downstairs to discuss their plans for finding the Opposition Duet. Chinatsu, Ren, Kisame, and Itachi were eating breakfast while Sasori sat in a hunched position, glaring at the door to the inn.

"Chinatsu and I will cover the inner core of the town, where all the housing is, right?" Ren asked.

"Yeah," Kisame confirmed, "Itachi-san, Sasori, and I will be searching the outskirts, where all the markets are."

"Very well," Chinatsu agreed, "Are we going to meet back here once our search is done?"

"Yes," Itachi replied as he finished off his food and stood up, "I will be going now."

"I'm leaving as well," Sasori said, "I'm tired of waiting."

Kisame watched the two shinobi leave with a frown on his face. Chinatsu noticed and asked, "Is there something wrong, Kisame-san?"

"Not with me," the Kiri-nin replied, "But I think there's something bothering Itachi-san."

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi was currently pushing his way through a massive crowd in the marketplace. On the outside, his face was a calm and stoic mask, but on the inside, he was bubbling with annoyance at the fact that he was forced to bring himself back to this overpopulated place to search for a thieving little beggar boy. It was safe to say that the Uchiha was not pleased.

After several hours of searching, Itachi finally spotted a familiar, turbaned head. He had finally found the little vagabond! Without hesitating, Itachi teleported next to Kyo, grabbed the boy by the arm, and quickly teleported to a quiet alley near the edge of the market. Once they were hidden, Itachi released Kyo, giving the latter some time to recover from the sudden abduction.

Kyo blinked at Itachi and grinned. "You're one of those people from yesterday!"

"Don't pretend," Itachi said coldly and held out one hand, "Return my necklace."

Kyo let out a disappointed sigh before reaching into his pocket and taking out the three-ringed necklace that belonged to the dangerous Akatsuki member. He placed it into Itachi's hand without argument. "That wasn't fun; you're too smart."

Itachi clenched his hand around his necklace. "Is stealing all you can do?"

"Well, no, and it's actually not stealing if I give it back," Kyo retorted cheekily.

"Oh? Then what was that commotion about yesterday?"

"I actually gave some money to the merchant when he wasn't looking, so technically, I paid for that food."

Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why would you give it to him when he wasn't looking? Do you want him to accuse you of stealing?"

"Yep!" Kyo grinned. Itachi stared at the beggar boy for a little longer before turning around and walking away. However, the Akatsuki member did not expect the boy to start following him. Kyo didn't say anything as he walked next to Itachi, although it was unsure of whether or not Itachi minded.

After a long while, Itachi spoke, "Do you not have someplace to be? Home, perhaps?"

"If I had a home, I wouldn't be running around as a beggar," Kyo replied.

"And your parents?"

"Dead. Both of them died before I was ten," Kyo answered casually.

"I see."

Silence fell upon the two once again as Kyo continued to follow Itachi. The Uchiha was beginning to feel baffled and slightly annoyed at why the beggar boy was following him around like a lost puppy.

"Why are you following me?"

Kyo grinned again and quickened his pace slightly so that he and the taller male were walking side by side. "Because you seem like someone who would attract an adequate amount of drama to keep me entertained."

"There will be no drama; I am merely looking for two people," Itachi informed Kyo, hoping that the latter would leave him alone.

"Oh? Who are you looking for?" Kyo inquired excitedly, "Maybe I can help. I know this town pretty well."

Itachi was about to decline when he hesitated. There was no harm in having the boy help him a little. The black-haired Akatsuki member reached into his cloak and pulled out his bingo book. He opened it to a certain page and handed it to the beggar without a word.

Kyo glanced over the two kunoichi in the book. The one on the left had chin-length yellow hair and ice-blue eyes. She looked very mature, and the name 'Hitomi' was written beneath the portrait along with other bits of various information.

"I haven't seen her around," Kyo muttered before turning to the picture on the right.

A woman with long, slightly wavy, black hair stared back at him. The woman's eyes were a deep shade of indigo and there was a mischievous smirk on her face. Kyo smiled before pointing at the name 'Kiyoko' listed under the picture. "I saw her yesterday."

"Where?"

Kyo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I think it was in the food market. She was buying a lot of food that merchants were practically shoving into her hands. This way!" The beggar took Itachi's sleeve and began to drag Itachi in the direction of the food market.

When the pair arrived in the food market, they were slightly surprised to see Kisame, Sasori, Ren, and Chinatsu in a group in front of the meat shop.

"What's going on?" Itachi questioned as he approached his fellow Akatsuki members.

"Itachi-san!" Kisame greeted his partner, "I've been trying to get into contact with you to tell you that we got a lead. Are you not wearing your ring?"

"No, I intentionally left it back in our room at the inn this morning. What lead did you get?"

Kisame sensed that Itachi had no intention of talking about his deliberate attempt to cut off communication and went on, "Well, Ren and Chinatsu asked around and found out that the kunoichi called Hitomi was seen by several residents a few days ago. However, we're unsure as to whether or not she and Kiyoko had left the village yet."

"They haven't," Itachi reassured, "The beggar boy from yesterday told me that he had seen Kiyoko around here yesterday."

"I'm right here, you know!" Kyo protested from behind the Uchiha.

"Kyo-kun!" Ren blinked in surprise to see the boy she had rescued.

"Good morning, Ren-san!" Kyo saluted the kunoichi cheerfully, "How was your night at the inn?"

"It was very relaxing," Ren replied, "Thank you for taking us to such a good inn."

"No problem! It's the least I could do after you saved me from a death fall," Kyo laughed lightheartedly. Out of nowhere, a small snowflake fell from the sky and floated down in front of Kyo's face. The boy blinked and looked up to see the gray clouds that were covering the sky and the frosty flakes that were gliding down. "Ah, it's snowing. Sorry, but I have to go now. Good luck with finding Hitomi and Kiyoko!"

With that being said, he dashed off through the crowd and snow. In the blink of an eye, Kyo had disappeared, and the only sign that he had been with the Akatsuki was the trail of footprints that was quickly demolished by the shoppers milling around.

**To be continued in ****Chapter 11: Clash with ANBU, Kyo's Identity Revealed****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by Ikimono-Gakari**


	11. Clash With ANBU Kyo's Identity Revealed

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

* * *

_**Chapter 11: Clash with ANBU, Kyo's Identity Revealed**_

While Ren and Chinatsu were in Yukigakure with the three elder Akatsuki members, Sayuri and Deidara were in the Land of Rivers, Kawa no Kuni. The pair had stopped in the middle of the road and was facing each other with glares and clenched fists. Both were ready to rip the other's throat out, and the only thing that held them back from doing so was Pein's wrath.

"Admit it, blondie! We're lost!" Sayuri snapped, crossing her arms in front of her chest and glaring up at Deidara.

"We are _not _lost, yeah!" Deidara retorted, grinding his teeth, "Stop yapping and get a move on!"

"We are lost, fool!" Sayuri argued, "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't lost the stupid map!"

"Can you just shut up and get a move on, hmm?" Deidara fumed. The two of them locked glares for a moment longer before Sayuri suddenly took out a kunai from beneath her cloak. She threw it into a pine maple tree that stood next to the path.

"If we see that kunai again, I will not forgive you," she seethed, pointing at the weapon to get her point across.

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Whatever, un. Let's just go."

The pair continued down the path, both of them obviously still angry. Luckily, neither of them seemed inclined to say anything, meaning they couldn't get more upset than they already were.

After a long time of walking, Sayuri suddenly let out an exclamation and pointed ahead. Deidara followed her gaze and cursed mentally. Sayuri rounded on the blonde bomber with a triumphant and irritated look on her face.

"I _told _you we were lost!"

A couple yards in front of them was the kunai embedded in the maple tree.

* * *

"Tch. How can two C-ranked kunoichi be so hard to find?" Chinatsu muttered as the group of five exited the village on their continued quest to find Kiyoko and Hitomi.

Ren sighed. "Maybe they're just really good at hiding," she suggested, "I feel bad that we left without saying goodbye to Kyo-kun though."

"That brat can handle himself," Sasori said as he trudged along from his place next to Itachi.

"That's probably true," Chinatsu agreed with Sasori. Ren had told Chinatsu about the money that had appeared in the former's Akatsuki cloak's pocket, and the Kumogakure kunoichi guessed that Kyo had somehow managed to sneak the money in there without anyone noticing.

"Let's hurry," Sasori muttered as he quickened his pace slightly, "I want to get to the next village before nightfall."

"Okay, but we better stop for a break some time before we cross those mountains," Chinatsu said, nodding in the direction of the tall, white-capped peaks of the great stone protrusions in the distance.

"Fine."

Sasori kept his word when they reached the base of the first mountain. He didn't breathe a word of complaint when the other four started a fire and began to gather food to cook and eat. Chinatsu and Ren had left the group and just caught a few wild birds when they suddenly halted.

"Oh…" Ren trailed off as she stared at the two ANBU members blocking the path back to the three Akatsuki men.

"Well, this is probably the best I've felt all day," Chinatsu said sarcastically.

"Stop right there, you Akatsuki scum!" The ANBU wearing a hawk mask shouted.

Chinatsu cleared her throat. "Excuse me, ANBU-san, but are you blind? We stopped walking a long time ago."

"Shh!" Ren hissed, slapping a hand onto Chinatsu's mouth, "You're making things worse!"

The hawk-ANBU let out an angry snarl and darted forward, his katana raised and ready to cut down the two kunoichi in front of him. Before he could touch them, however, there was a loud _thud _and he let out a cry of pain before falling back. The hawk-ANBU clutched his stomach as he landed unsteadily. A second familiar person landed in front of Ren and Chinatsu, facing the two ANBU members.

"K-Kyo-kun!" Ren sputtered in surprise. Chinatsu's eyes were also wide in astonishment.

Sasori, Itachi, and Kisame appeared next to the two Akatsuki kunoichi. "What's going on?" Sasori inquired.

"Hey, isn't that the kid?" Kisame asked, staring at Kyo. Itachi narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan blazing dangerously.

Kyo twirled the slingshot that he held as he grinned at the hawk-ANBU. "A man picking on a woman. That's not very nice, is it?" he asked as he tucked his slingshot into his shirt casually.

The second ANBU member, who was wearing a cat mask, stepped forward. "Leave this place, boy. Those five belong to Akatsuki, an S-ranked criminal organization."

"I know," Kyo waved a hand dismissively, "But what if I refuse to leave?"

"What?" Hawk-ANBU exclaimed, "Are you insane, beggar? Just get out of here before I make you!" He waved his sword for emphasis.

Kyo didn't look fazed at all. "Says the one who couldn't even resist against a stone," he countered, smirking when the hawk-ANBU's chest swelled with anger.

"Kyo-kun, just go home," Ren shouted impatiently, "Don't get muddled up in this."

"I won't," Kyo said stubbornly, "I still haven't fully repaid you for the food yet."

"What an adamant guy," Chinatsu muttered to Kisame, who grunted in agreement.

"If you refuse to leave, boy, then we will be forced to kill you along with the Akatsuki," Cat-ANBU warned as he unsheathed his sword as well. When Kyo didn't budge, both he and the hawk-ANBU charged forward.

Hawk-ANBU reached Kyo first and swung his sword at her head. With surprisingly swift movements, Kyo ducked and did a quick cartwheel, kicking hawk-ANBU in the chin in the process. As the beggar boy landed on his feet, cat- ANBU attempted to stab him in the back, but Kyo spun to the right, successfully evading the blade.

Cat-ANBU swung his sword in Kyo's direction, hoping to at least cut the boy, but Kyo bent backwards, once again dodging an attack with ease and grace. Hawk-ANBU had recovered by now and slashed his sword at Kyo's legs. Kyo easily evaded by placing her hands on the ground and doing a backflip.

The Akatsuki was stunned. None of them were expecting the beggar boy to have such skill and be able to stand his ground against two ANBU members. Five pairs of eyes followed the young boy as he weaved his way through attacks, and five minds wondered why the boy didn't go on the offensive instead.

Meanwhile, Kyo continued to avoid the attacks made by the two ANBU members, who were obviously both very shocked by the beggar boy's skill as well. So shocked that they decided to play dirty. While hawk-ANBU kept Kyo's attention, cat-ANBU snuck up behind the boy and slashed at his head. Luckily, Kyo noticed in time and managed to avoid getting his head cut open. However, his turban wasn't so lucky.

The piece of cloth unraveled itself and drifted to the ground. Kyo's eyes widened briefly before he quickly teleported a good distance away from the ANBU. The beggar crouched on the ground as his long, black hair cascaded down from its bun. Slowly, Kyo lifted his head and met the astounded looks of seven people.

"What the hell…?" Sasori uttered.

"Did you know about this, Itachi-san?" Kisame inquired to his partner.

"This is…unexpected," Itachi said quietly.

"No way!" Chinatsu gasped.

Ren stared. "Kyo-kun…you're a…woman?"

**To be continued in ****Chapter 12: The Shadow's Promise****…**

* * *

**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


	12. The Shadow's Promise

**Opening Theme: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari**

* * *

_**Chapter 12: The Shadow's Promise**_

The Akatsuki members stared as the black-haired woman reached up and patted her hair with a frown on her face. "Well, that plan didn't work out as long as I would have liked," she commented before straightening up and facing the ANBU and Akatsuki. "I suppose I should re-introduce myself then. Hello, my name is Kiyoko. Nice to meet you."

There was a brief moment of silence before Sasori said, "You have got to be kidding me."

"To think that one of the ones we were looking for was right in front of our noses the entire time," Kisame added, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ha!" hawk-ANBU suddenly let out a puff of laughter, "Hahahahaha!"

Cat-ANBU gave his partner a nudge. "Stop laughing, you idiot. What's so funny anyway?"

"Not only do we get to take down five Akatsuki members, but we also landed ourselves with a little C-ranked criminal," hawk-ANBU said, "This'll really help our reputation."

"Watch who you're calling a 'little C-ranked criminal,'" Kiyoko teased, "You haven't managed to land a scratch on me yet."

"That's true," Chinatsu agreed, recovering from her shock.

The hawk-ANBU sputtered indignantly, only to be ignored by Kiyoko as the latter reached into her ragged shirt and pulled out a folded-up, black cloak. Then, the kunoichi proceeded to tear up her shirt, revealing the tight and sleeveless black shirt that she had on underneath. As the tatters of the gray shirt floated to the ground, Kiyoko draped the black cloak over her shoulders and looked up into the nervous eyes of the hawk-ANBU.

"What's the matter, ANBU-san?" Kiyoko's eyes glinted mischievously, "Were you expecting to see something different? Pervert."

"I-I…" hawk-ANBU stammered, "Shut up!"

"Hmm? Are you sure?" Kiyoko was clearly enjoying making the ANBU squirm, and even Ren, Chinatsu, and Kisame were looking faintly amused. "It's not very often that you get to see a woman's skin, you know…"

"I-I'm not a p-p…" the poor ANBU member stuttered.

Kiyoko waved a hand dismissively. "I know. I'm not interested in you anyway. I just find it amusing that even the toughest of men can be reduced to a nervous wreck just by teasing."

The hawk-ANBU seemed to relax and lifted his katana again. Kiyoko frowned.

"You still want to fight? That's not a very wise idea since you'll probably be going up against three S-ranked criminals and two B-ranked criminals. Do you truly think that you and your partner will be enough to defeat those five Akatsuki?" Kiyoko inclined her head towards the group.

"But you are…" hawk-ANBU started.

"Me? I'm not interested in fighting so I will just be watching from the sidelines. The choice really is up to you and your partner. However, I will fight if you decide to attack me," Kiyoko warned.

"We'll be taking our leave," cat-ANBU announced, "Although you should expect to be changed to at least an A-ranked criminal soon, Kiyoko-san. Don't think the Five Great Nations have forgotten about your former position in Sunagakure's ANBU."

Kiyoko smirked. "Since you know that I'm a former ANBU member, I'm guessing you're also aware of my former title?"

Both ANBU members sheathed their swords. "Of course we are," cat-ANBU confirmed, "You would not be forgotten that easily." Both ANBU vanished, heading west.

Kiyoko shrugged and held up a hitai-ate that she had easily stolen from one of the ANBU members. She looked down at the cloud sign carved on the metal. "Kumogakure, huh…" She tossed it aside carelessly and looked at the Akatsuki. "Why were you looking for me?"

"Akatsuki has a proposition for you and Hitomi," Kisame answered, "Where is your friend anyway?"

Kiyoko shrugged. "I actually haven't seen her for a few days. She said that she was going to go somewhere, and she is supposed to return today. What's the proposition?"

"Our leader wants you and your friend to join Akatsuki," Sasori said, "Call her here."

"No can do," Kiyoko shook her head, "Hitomi is the one who carries the communication devices, and so as of right now, I can only talk to her if she tries to communicate with me." She paused for a moment, thinking. "How about this: I'll go back to the base to see if Hitomi's there and we can meet back here tomorrow at midnight."

"Not a chance," Itachi said, "We will not risk you running off."

Kiyoko pretended to be offended. "Ouch. That hurt. Really though, I have no intention of running off. There's nowhere to run to."

"Prove it," Sasori said.

"I can't," Kiyoko replied bluntly. An awkward silence followed her statement as the Akatsuki pondered what do next since they couldn't seem to reach a consensus with the kunoichi.

After a while, Ren spoke up. "I think we should give in to Kyo…Kiyoko-san's demands this time. She did prevent us from sustaining any heavy injuries by convincing the ANBU to leave."

"She lied to us about being a boy though," Sasori pointed out.

"Hey, old man," Kiyoko cut in, "I did not lie. You were the ones who automatically assumed that I was a boy, you know."

"O-Old man?" Sasori's eye twitched irritably and he muttered, "I can't believe Leader's asking us to recruit such an immature little brat."

Kisame turned to Itachi. "What do you think, Itachi-san?"

The Uchiha remained silent while he thought things over. He most certainly didn't want to wait another day to recruit the Opposition Duet, but he could tell that Kiyoko wasn't going to let up. The last thing he wanted was a fight between the Akatsuki and the kunoichi, and judging by the annoyance that was rolling off of Sasori in waves, his colleague was very close to lashing out at Kiyoko.

"Very well," Itachi said at last, "We will meet back here tomorrow night at midnight. However, if you run off…" he narrowed his eyes, Sharingan flashing dangerously, "…there will be consequences."

Kiyoko grinned, seeming undeterred by Itachi threat. "Okay! I'll meet you five back here tomorrow night then!" With that, she turned and left, jumping away through the forest.

"I wonder if Leader will ever regret his choice to recruit the Opposition Duet," Kisame mused, "Kiyoko looks as though she'll be a handful."

"Don't jinx it, Kisame."

"I'm agreeing with Kisame."

**To be continued in ****Chapter 13: Mistaken, Battle with Akatsuki****…**

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**Ending Theme: Ichirin no Hana by High and Mighty Color**


End file.
